Masses of Chinese Tourists Expected in 'Golden Week'

Published on 2016/10/02 | Source

Chinese visitors take photos of QR codes for discounts at the Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Seoul on Tuesday.

A quarter of a million Chinese visitors are expected in Korea starting this weekend as China celebrates its weeklong national holiday.

The Korea Tourism Organization expects 40,000 more Chinese tourists than last year and projects that they will spend over W600 billion (US$1=W1,099).

Department stores here say Chinese tourists generate huge revenues and have expanded store space for brands they favor.

Each Chinese tourist who visited Korea last year spent US$2,319 on average excluding airfare, making them the biggest foreign spenders.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said around 300 officers will be stationed around major duty-free shops and tourist attractions in the capital to prevent traffic jams caused by vast fleets of tour buses.

A record 5.6 million Chinese are expected to travel abroad during this year's "Golden Week", and top destinations like Japan and Thailand have been working hard to attract them.